Self harm

[happy daze john in oz]

No doubt most of us at some time when at sea did something we now think of as just plain stupid.
The odd Tattoo that is now a faded mess, a ring in the ear maybe and other odd bits.

At one time with UCL there was a craze to see who could withstand the most pain.
It required a 20 Rand note and alit cigarette.

The note wrapped around the back of the hand with the lit cigarette held about half an inch above it.

The pain got to quite a high level until in the end you had to give in.
The result was a bad burn which blistered and when healed left white mark on the back of the hand.

Like the fool I was at the time did both hands.
With a bit of sun on the back the white spots do stand out.

A couple of years later in Genoa, in bar doing what most of us did then, there was a an older lady.
She saw the marks on the back of my hands and thought I was someone very special.
She told me I had the 'Stigmata' on the back of my hands and had been blessed by God.
Did not have the heart to tell her the truth.

[Doc Vernon]

True Story here John
I remember those silly pranks and my late Brother Gregory was a very strange sort of Guy when it came to withstanding pain.
He did that same one with the Note and just stood there as if nothing was happening,this is Gods Truth.
He also could take a quite large Needle and shove it right through his Skin on his Forarm ,it was rather gruesome to watch but also something that amazed a lot on board!

I on the other hand did not withstand too much pain,to an exrtent i was fine.
I recall on my first trip in the Pig and Whistle after a few Beers we were challenged to see if anyone had the guts to smash a Glass with the back of the hand!
This i took on and landed up with a very badly cut hand and was off duty for 2 days ,was very lucky not to get logged for it.
I too carry the scar on the back of my Left Hand,now not too noticeable any longer! Silly beggars we were!

Then of course there were the odd silly Tatts that I got on Board ,still of course carry those,another silly move but these days don't worry me ,as I am too old to care and Tatts at least have become a craze! LOL
cHEERS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
I know how our memories play tricks; you sure she didn't say godless.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi John.
I know how our memories play tricks; you sure she didn't say godless.
Cheers Des

Most likely closer to the truth back then.

[robpage]

I did a coastal with a South African third engineer I think he was called Brian who could take two large pins put them one through each earlobe and ask you which one you want to bleed when he took them out and he could take them out and if you said left here that's the one that glad he had lots of other things all to do with mind over matter I think he did a lot of medication and that type of stuff interesting to watch for when you've seen it once

[Ken Norton]

Did the same silly bet at 16 years old John, only the right one though, like you still got the scar.

[happy daze john in oz]

Vernon, was your brother even on the Pretoria Castle?

I ask as there was a guy on her who had a large hat pin, the type the ladies used to keep their hat on, and he would push it through the flesh of his thigh.
Was his 'party piece' and every night in the Pig one of the guys would ask him to do it, depending on his mood he may or may not.

We did have some whackos on board when you look back.